February 21, 2019
Featuring all of the key machine tool dealers, all under the one roof, Austech 2019 will showcase a vast array of the very latest in state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. With more than 5,800 square metres of exhibition space already booked, visitors to the show will have their work cut out for them just getting round to see everything they need to in the time available. But help is at hand. For this year’s event, Austech’s organisers have partnered up with Map Your Show, specialists in event management software, to create a set of online tools that lets you plan your visit in advance. The tools are accessible right now, so you can start mapping out your movements at Austech right now. To get started, just visit the Austech page on the AMTIL website (www.amtil.com.au/austech). By clicking on the button marked ‘Exhibitor Directory’, users can explore details about all of the…
February 21, 2019
LANG Technik was founded by Josef Lang in 1982 in the German town of Neuhazen, initially operating as a sub-contractor for the mould-making industry and a manufacturer of general mechanical components. After Josef passed away, his son Guenter Lang stepped in as CEO in 1985. Taking the reins at the age of just 23, it was Guenter who would come to set Lang’s long-term direction, overseeing the company’s transition from contract manufacturing to developing its own products, beginning with the Vario-Tec pin-jaw clamping system in 1997. And Guenter remains very much at the heart of the company’s operations today. “My boss is a typical German inventor,” says Tobias Farr. “He always has some idea of how to optimise processes and manufacturing cycles, and he came up with more and more ideas.” Guenter also took a keen interest in the people side of the business. When Farr joined LANG as a driver in 2003, he was planning to join…
February 14, 2019
On 10 December, two F-35A Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) landed at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales (NSW), the first deliveries in what will eventually see at least 72 F-35 aircraft based in Australia. Built by Lockheed Martin in the US, with support from subcontractors from all over the world, the JSF is the largest acquisition in the history of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the arrival of the first two planes represented a landmark not just for defence and aerospace in this country, but also for Australian manufacturing. “Australian industry is manufacturing parts that will be fitted to every F-35 in production globally, and more than 50 Australian companies have directly shared in $1.2bn in production contracts to date,” said Steven Ciobo, the Federal Minister for Defence Industry. “Up to 1,500 contractors have worked on the construction of the facilities to accommodate the F-35A at RAAF Base Williamtown, representing approximately $1bn of investment in the Hunter region alone.” In the same week that the two…
February 14, 2019
Manufacturing processes have evolved from craft-made single-item methods to mass production lines and output of increasingly greater numbers of identical parts: a high-volume/low product mix (HVLM) scenario. Most recently, digital technology in programming, machine tool controls and workpiece handling systems are facilitating a manufacturing environment known as Industry 4.0 that enables cost-efficient manufacture of highly diverse parts in small batches: high-mix/low-volume (HMLV) production.In the era of Industry 4.0 it is fashionable to highlight the newest production techniques and digitalisation technologies. However, maximum productivity and cost-efficiency still are based on a foundation of operational excellence. In the present economic environment, manufacturers generally consider speed to be a key indicator of operational excellence. A drawing comes into a facility and eventually a completed workpiece leaves the plant; manufacturers want the time between the two events to be as short…
February 7, 2019
Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition, showcasing the very latest in state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. The opening of registrations marks a significant milestone in the build-up to this year’s exhibition, which is set to be the biggest in the event’s history. Preparations for Austech 2019 have been marked by unprecedented levels of early interest. Floor space for the exhibition has been booked significantly faster than it was for Austech 2017, which went on to become one of the most successful shows to date. For this year’s event more than 5,600 square metres of space have already been sold. To accommodate such strong demand, AMTIL took the decision late last year to expand its booking with the MCEC, making this year’s Austech the largest in terms of floor space to date. However, despite the addition of further bays within the exhibition hall, demand has remained very strong, with most of the exhibition area now fully booked. Notably, early floor space sales have been dominated by a comparatively small number of…
February 7, 2019
Competing in an increasingly competitive international marketplace, Nupress focuses on working smarter not harder. Its innovative manufacturing approach positions it well for the manufacture of unique, complex parts, while also being able to excel in high-quantity batch manufacturing. This commitment to innovation and quality led to Nupress’ Managing Director Murray Claire and its CEO Craig McWilliam embarking on an analysis of suitable co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) technologies to complement and enhance their other leading edge technologies. Among other parameters, the key criteria established by Claire and McWilliam were threefold : The system should enhance the company’s process control capabilities and had to include continuous analogue scanning. The selected unit should be suitable for use in both a production and a quality assurance role. To get the best out of any system that Nupress chose, extensive ongoing local support would be critical. After evaluating three potential suppliers, Nupress decided on a Hexagon Global Classic SR 09.12.08 CMM with PC-DMIS software and analogue scanning. The Global Classic is…
February 7, 2019
Australia has a proven history of aerospace manufacturing and continues to provide world-class products to both the local and the global aerospace sector, based on an understanding of unique considerations such as the need for particular expertise, and dedicated resources. According to the Aerospace Manufacturing Services Report published by the Australian Trade Commission, the aerospace industry has to deal in specialty alloys and materials for their products, and also has multiple regulations and certifications to consider during the overall manufacturing process and in meeting the all-important deadline. In order to accomplish this, certain matters must be taken into consideration. Time and quality management are crucial and can be the key differentiators. It is then critical that the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is in place. This will help to ensure a…
February 1, 2019
The return to expansion follows a flat result in December 2018 that ended 26 months of continuous expansion (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase). January 2019 saw mild improvements in sales, new orders, exports and production compared with December for many manufacturers. Conditions remain more favourable for food & beverages manufacturers than those in other sectors, with exports and new orders looking especially promising. Six of the seven activity indexes in the Australian PMI indicated expansion in January (see table below), but they have been trending down on average since Q3 2018. New orders improved by 2.0 points to 52.3 while the production index recovered from December’s mild contraction (up 4.9 points to 54.0). Supplier deliveries rose 6.2 points to 55.6, but finished stocks (inventories) were depleted in order to meet new year demand (down 7.8 points to 47.7). “2019 is clearly bringing a new set of challenges to Australian manufacturing,” said…
January 31, 2019
I wanted to start off with that because 2019 is going to be a big year for us here at AMTIL. Most importantly, it will be the 20th anniversary of the establishment of our Association. It seems hard to believe it’s been two decades since AMTIL was formed with the merger of the Institute of Machine Tools Australia and the Australian Machine Tool Association. The time has flown by, but the enthusiasm of the team here hasn’t faded, and we’re looking forward to many more years supporting the interests of manufacturers and manufacturing technology suppliers in Australia. We hope to be holding a number of events to celebrate AMTIL’s 20th birthday, but the biggest of all will – of course – be Austech, which will take place at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 14-17 May. As Australia’s premier showcase for advanced manufacturing technology, Austech has been a core part of our activities for almost as long as AMTIL itself has been in existence. The show has…
January 24, 2019
Founded in 1994 by David Nabulsi and his wife, this specialist manufacturer of switchboards and switchrooms took advantage of the latest in pressbrake and fibre laser technology to boost its capabilities and efficiencies in this area. Nabulsi, an industrial electrician by trade, initially established DJN Electrical as an electrical contractor primarily specialising in industrial controls and industrial electrical work. In 2000 he spotted an opportunity to start making switchboards, and built a specialised workshop for switchboard manufacturing from which DJN Switchboards was born. These used enclosures that were pre-manufactured by external companies. Early in 2017, Nabulsi decided to establish his own sheet metal department to enable him to produce the cabinets and assemblies in-house. “We wanted to build our enclosures in the most modern way possible,” says Nabulsi. “I bought a CAD designer on board to design our own cabinetry, and looked at what CNC pressbrake and laser cutter we would buy. We ended up selecting the…
January 24, 2019
Over more than two centuries of machining history, the elements of production economics have multiplied in number. Manufacturing first evolved from craft-level single-item output to mass production of standardised parts using machine tools. Improving manufacturing methods brought about a second generation of mass production featuring production lines and output of increasingly greater numbers of identical parts: a high-volume, low-product mix (HVLM) scenario. Then CNC machines and robots fostered a third generation of mass production efficiency. Most recently, digital technology applied in programming, machine tool controls and workpiece handling systems is facilitating a fourth generation of manufacturing production, known as Industry 4.0, that enables cost-efficient, high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) production. To effectively accomplish the shift from HVLM to…
January 17, 2019
The new machine is a Kingfisher RAL12 CNC vertical lathe by Radar Industrial, a Taiwanese manufacturer of high-precision machine tools. The vertical spindle is supported to a full 360 degrees, eliminating ‘spindle droop’ and increasing the maximum weight allowable on the spindle. As Isaac Newton would have noticed, gravity provides a downward force on the workpiece, assisting the workholding. Minimal clamp force can be applied where desirable, and gravity keeps each part in the chuck. This not only provides additional stability, especially when machining delicate parts, but also dissipates the cutting forces created by heavy cutting. Increasing capability These facts were in the thoughts of the management team at Meeke Engineering as they considered the needs of their current and prospective customers. The team was seeking to add more capability and capacity to the company’s workshops by installing a new machining centre. They worked together with the engineers at 600 Machine Tools to identify they right machine for the envisaged…
January 17, 2019
Led by AMTIL and generously supported by the Victorian Government, the AM Hub has been established to grow and develop additive manufacturing (AM) capability. Its goals are to: promote and market AM capabilities; support the creation of high-quality AM jobs; provide a forum for dialogue and communication for the AM industry; encourage R&D, innovation and collaboration; and provide a strong, cohesive voice on AM sector development. John is uniquely well placed to oversee the direction of the AM Hub, having been at the forefront of the adoption of AM technology in Australia for more than two decades. In the early 1990s he launched Interact Plastic Services, the first private company in this country to move into AM, having purchased a Stratasys FDM 2000 3D printer. For John, part of the appeal of his new role with AMTIL has been the opportunity to re-engage with AM and…